The widespread use of telecommunications devices has also spurred the development of telecommunications connectors. Initially, telecommunications devices such as telephones, computer terminals, and the like were hardwired. For example, the wire cable for a telephone was coupled directly through a hole in a wall plate to electrical terminals.
Modem telephone connectors use an industry standard receptacle mounted in the wall and a mating industry standard plug at the end of a telephone cord. The use of industry standard connectors permits the convenient installation of telephones. Similarly, industry standard connectors have been developed for other telecommunications devices such as computers. For example, a personal computer may be coupled to a local area network (LAN) via a telecommunications connector similar to those used with telephones.
The use of telecommunications connectors with telephones does not result in the degradation of signal quality because telephones typically have limited bandwidth. However, high-speed telecommunications devices, such as computers, can suffer significant degradation of signal quality as a result of telecommunications connectors. Therefore, it can be appreciated that there is a significant need for a telecommunications connector that minimizes degradation of signal quality. The present invention offers this and other advantages as will be apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying figures.